GTI Report: Thai timber market booms in February amid global push for sustainable supply chains

Staff of Taveekij Wood Mart Co. Ltd. Posing for a photo to promote greater use of wood. © Taveekij Wood Mart Co. Ltd

Thailand’s timber sector continued its upward trend in February 2026, while some countries showed signs of partial recovery despite a decline in overall performance, according to the latest Global Timber Index (GTI) Report. The ITTO-supported GTI tracks the performance of the timber sector in pilot countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Among the ten GTI pilot countries, Thailand (54.5%) was above the 50% threshold and remained in expansion territory for the second consecutive month, indicating strong activity in its timber sector. Other countries were in contraction territory: the Republic of the Congo (49.5%) and Brazil (49.2%) posted readings indicating slight contraction; Indonesia (45.5%), Ecuador (44.8%), Ghana (43.6%), and Mexico (41.3%) showed moderate contraction; and Gabon (36.8%), China (31.1%), and Malaysia (27.2%) recorded a significant downturn. 

In China's case, timber enterprises experienced a notable slowdown in production and operations due to an extended Spring Festival holiday.

Specialized sub-indices still indicated overall contractions in February. The GTI-Producers Index was at 46.8%, while the GTI-Woodbased Panel Index stood at 40.7%.

In February, GTI sample enterprises continued to face challenges such as weak market demand, unstable raw material supply, and rising operational costs. In addition, heavy rainfall in Ecuador, Gabon and Indonesia during February disrupted harvesting and transportation activities, underscoring the critical importance of climate resilience for sustainable operations.

The latest GTI Report highlights pathways toward high-value utilization of wood resources. In Brazil's construction sector, engineered wood is increasingly recognized as a low-carbon alternative while also offering advantages such as less energy required during processing, strong carbon sequestration capacity, and efficient construction. In Gabon, extracts from okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana) have demonstrated potential in cosmetics and healthcare industries, positioning the species not only as a timber resource for veneer or plywood, but also as a raw material for green chemistry and biotechnology.

The report also describes efforts to advance legal and sustainable frameworks, including Malaysia’s launch of the Sabah Timber Legality Assurance System Plus, Ghana’s issuance of over 400 FLEGT licenses since 2025, and Congo’s sustainable management of forest concessions.

The monthly GTI Report, GTI-Producers Report and GTI-WBP Report are available at www.itto.int/gti/.